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Published : 15 Jun 2025, 05:16 AM
Former Bangladesh opener Hannan Sarkar is returning to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), this time as a coach, after stepping away from his role as a national selector earlier this year.
The 42-year-old will take charge of the Bangladesh Under-17 team later this month, he announced in a video message on social media.
Hannan had spent nearly nine years as a selector, including a recent stint on the national selection panel, before resigning in February.
He said he left the “comfort of the AC room” to contribute more directly through coaching.
Soon after his resignation, Hannan was appointed head coach of Abahani Limited in the Dhaka Premier League, leading the powerhouse club to the championship.
He has since confirmed a move to Legends of Rupganj for the next season.
His return to the BCB, he said, aligns with his ambition to build a career in coaching and to make a deeper impact on Bangladeshi cricket.
“My decision to step down as selector was driven by my desire to focus entirely on coaching,” he said. “After winning the Premier League with Abahani, I was in talks with the board. Although there wasn’t an opening in the High Performance Unit, the BCB wanted to involve me in age-level cricket—something I was also keen on.”
A veteran of 17 Tests and 20 ODIs for Bangladesh, Hannan has been involved in several coaching roles in domestic cricket.
He previously served as a selector for the BCB’s age-group teams for eight consecutive years before joining the national panel in March 2023.
He will begin his new role at the Challenger Series for the Under-16s, which starts on Monday at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan (BKSP). The tournament will serve as the selection ground for the upcoming Under-17 squad.
“For now, I’m starting with the Under-17s,” Hannan said. “There are bigger plans ahead. I believe this journey through age-level cricket will eventually lead to fulfilling greater dreams.”
Although he did not elaborate, sources close to Hannan suggest he is aiming to progress through the ranks, from Under-17 to Under-19, and eventually to the national team coaching setup.
This appointment marks the first step in that long-term goal.
